Falling Sunset
by DonnerSchatten
Summary: It's the year 1918 in Chicago, Illinois. The time where the deathly influenza epidemic comes to kill its victims. Will Edward survive through it all or lose his life? It's like a falling sunset when the heart pumps its last beat. Eyes fading from light to dark. A faint glow from the sun is the only moment to catch that life. For after the sunset falls, twilight snatches its prize.
1. A New Day

The day had just started when I got up. It was so beautiful outside since it was the late spring. The bright yellow sun is shining high with no clouds hiding it. Birds are chirping happily outside of my window. My room is the same as last night which made me sigh with relief. The nightmare was not even real; it was just a stupid dream. I breathed in and out. I could smell breakfast in the kitchen just from sitting on the maroon-sheeted bed.

Mother! I pulled on a big grin. She is making her homemade omelet on the tiny black oven. I move my feet to the side of the bed and touch the floor with my toes. I was expecting to be a little shorter, but I find out I grew overnight. I gave out a little laugh at myself. Quickly as I could, I got into my black slacks. Then I put on the white button-down shirt and started working at it. Next, I put on shoes that my mother had out for me. Finally, I went to the bathroom to brush my bronze hair with one swipe from the hand. Mom calls my name and I dash out to greet her. Mom is still the same as before with her lovely brown hair and hazel eyes. The nightmare was still lurking through my mind sending an image of her being deathly ill, but I ignored it.

"Edward," Mom says smiling when I look up to her by the doorway, "guess what day it is today?"

Thinking intently while walking to the kitchen table I say, "Tuesday?"

Mom looks at me with a smile and says "Yes, but today is a special day."

I could see through her eyes to her mind that she wasn't kidding. Furrowing my eyebrows, I kept thinking anyway. She seems so excited that she couldn't keep it in: "It's you seventeenth birthday!", Mom says jumping with her white dress bouncing up and down. I gave out a slight chuckle on just how joyful this day became. Without one more word, she put the plate of an omelet on the round wooden table. Just for the fun of it, I inhaled it wildly catching the smells of onion, cheese, tomato, and chunks of little cubed hams. I felt Mom was staring at me, so I hurried it up on the breakfast.

She was still smiling at me which I could tell that she needs all the company she can get after I go to the schoolhouse. I got up from the chair and hugged her respectively to assure her that it will be alright. I could hear the soft sounds of her sobbing. Of course she is full of sorrow that my father, Edward Masen Sr. was dead from the infamous "Great War" going around. It is not exceptional for both of us to think about it so I kept quiet until Mom was done crying.

Mom utters a soft thank you. I roll my eyes, accepting the torture of going through the pain. If anything became so much of a loss for me, it would never come down to tearing up. My father told me when I was a whole lot younger that if a man to cry, it would have to be hidden. I understood it perfectly and kept practicing until I perfected it.

Mom still had the tears streaming down her face. I took the favor into wiping them away. Mom giggles and puts on a grin. She brushes her hair away from her eyes since it has fallen slightly over the front of her face. She says something, but I didn't catch a trace of it and says it again louder, "Edward, please go to school and not worry about me. I'll be fine. I already packed your lunch."

I shake my head because I don't want to lose her like Dad. Mom let out a big sigh of stress. She pulls away from the hug to cross her arms to give me that don't-you-get-stubborn-with-me look. I know where I have been beaten. Slyly, I kissed her cheek and ran out the door as fast as I could. School was a block away, so walking was the best thing in Chicago rather than driving those new black Fords. My parents couldn't buy any. Dad was busy mining and Mom was still working at that crummy textile factory six blocks from our house. Both were working hard enough to pay for food and house insurance. Mainly, there are starting to become a lot more people becoming ill from the disease roaming around. More victims had to go to the hospital to die since there was no treatment yet. Hopefully Mom and I don't get it….

The schoolhouse was getting closer as I continue walking. It seemed dead to me since there is usually little kids to teens outside hanging out in groups, but nobody was out. I open the door; it creaks loudly making me cringe. Mrs. Carlson is waiting at her desk looking at her agenda. It seemed she was just trying to ignore the fact that there was a large absence in the classroom. I look around to see if anyone was here. Thankfully, about three hundred out of five hundred students were here. I let out a sigh of relief.

My grade was near the back of the room which there were thirty people all in all. I kind felt sorry for the twelfth graders, but I was content enough that I wasn't one of them. I sat down with my grade. Waiting for the teacher, I start playing my little game of reading people's minds


	2. Mind Games

Class was beginning, but it didn't stop me at all from playing my favorite hobby. Looking around for a person to read was my main conception to begin. Mrs. Carlson says something that I didn't catch for I found the perfect person to read. That would the one walking late to the schoolhouse- Edgar Kinks. He is a burly, strong, and stocky fellow with blonde hair who could act kind one minute then be down right mean. I chuckle a small laugh to see the teacher scowl at him while he just hung his head, saying, "Sorry for being late, ma'am."

"Well, sorry don't cut it at all, boy." Mrs. Carlson retorts. She adds with now a look of wonder: "This is your fourth time being late. You know… right?"

Focusing my eyes on Kinks, I could know that Kinks was thinking of bailing out on the the teacher. I smile that the fellow has been out taking care of his family who could possibly be catching the infamous disease. He was nervous as a criminal would be in court standing before a judge. Kinks's left foot was brushing the wooden floor and his hands were balled up in fists. I could tell by reading his face that he couldn't make up an excuse. The teacher with her circular face all scowled up was not going to have any of her students failing to come to an education. "As if it's so important", I mumbled through my breath. A person beside me- a girl- looks at me and says, "Did you say something?"

Without looking at her, I just shake my head. I was not ready to be like other guys who could go googly-eyed over some girl. To me, it didn't matter if someone loved me or not unless it was family. It would just take my mind off of the person's thoughts. Unfortunately, thoughts ran through my head and made me lose track on reading Kinks's mind. I mutter under my breath with my head to my hands that it was so wrong of me losing track.

Looking upward now, Kinks was walking near my row and had a painful expression on his embarrassed, red face. Reading his mind was so easy since I could tell Mrs. Carlson had already slapped him on the wrist with a ruler. Didn't need to see it since I could not be able tom but I knew I was right. Mind reading had been a talent of mine since I was just a little infant. Before Dad died, I could read his thoughts of fears of losing both Mom and I to the sickness that was spreading just a couple of months ago. Trying not to remember those awful times, I shook my head to wipe the nightmares away.

Kinks had already sat down in the row with his eyes set on his desk. I knew he was having a rough time, yet he wasn't the only one in here to have the same problems. Thinking to myself, I might have to just ruff him up a bit with being a jokester after classes are over. Looking to my left, the girl was still there beside me looking across the many rows at Mrs. Carlson. My classmate has long blonde hair with an expression of pain on her face. Her expression made it very easy to seep into her mind and read it. Smiling, I whispered, "Want to play a game of mine?"

The girl looked at me cautiously and whispered right back, "Sure, what type of game?"

Shifting my legs to the left side of my chair, I lean in closely to her and say quietly, "A mind-reading game. It's really fun."

She nodded her head and I whispered, "I'll go first in guessing what you are thinking."

"Fire away.", she says cautiously not to get Mrs. Carlson's attention. So I look deeply into her eyes to see she is nervously thinking of what Mrs. Carlson might do if she spots us. Aside from that, she was thinking of her younger siblings and parents who might be getting what was spreading. Another thing she was thinking about was hugging a panda bear. I laughed softly and she asks, "What was I thinking?"

Breathing in deeply to break away from laughter, I whisper, "You are thinking of hugging a panda bear."

She sits there amazed and turns back to face foreward and giggles with her head down in her crossed arms. I could hear through those arms her muffled voice saying, "Wow, you are freaky!"

To myself, I took it as a compliment though still felt confused of what her curiosity for what I said earlier. So typical for girls to get into a guy's personal hobby. Rolling my eyes to the window on the right, I thought about how Mom was doing right now. Hopefully she was doing fine at work without the company of a family member with her. So miss her…

Steps came closer and louder making it clear that I did something wrong. Setting my eyes on who was there right in front of me, there came a voice yelling, "Mr. Edward Masen Jr.! Stop your daydreaming or I will make you stay in after class ends."

I grinned with a smirk of pleasure, but Mrs. Carlson did not take it as an innocence and continued, "Get that grin off your face because this is not a thing to be smiling about!"

She went back off to the front in a fit of rage that just made me laugh right out loud. When she got there to turn her face in my way, I did my best to keep a straight face. There were some students giggling at this little phenomenon to start with and everyone joins in. The blonde-haired girl was the only one not laughing. She cries instead with her hands covering her face. I know for a fact that she was too much of a blonde to know that it was just a joke on the teacher.

Mrs. Carlson's face turns red and yells, "Children, QUIET!"

Everyone stops laughing, so she tunes down her voice by saying, "If Mr. Masen is going to be the class clown of this school corporation, I will have to make him do a subject that I know he won't like. It will be a good lesson that I'm sure he will do well for the younger students." She stares from her desk in my direction. "Won't it, Mr. Masen?"

Wait, what… me? On a subject that I don't like? Unfortunately, when I hear her answer that came through my mind, all my hopes slipped away.


	3. Unusual Punishment

"Mr. Masen, come up to the front of the class to recite two poems for the youngsters in the first five rows please. Don't need to repeat myself." says Mrs. Carlson almost too sweetly, holding two yellowish-white sheets in her hand, with hawk-like eyes pouring into mine. So I exhale with all the tension suddenly in me. There seemed to be some laughter in the schoolhouse when I began my way up to the front. So embarrassing! I keep my embarrassment a secret with a squared grin. Hopefully, it could sell it…

Mrs. Carlson gave me the papers and whispers strictly, "You will read these. Recite them carefully to the class or I will give you an absence for any funny business. I know how much you hate poetry."

I was beginning to protest to that wrinkled face, but she cut me off: "Read them right in front of the class."

I gulp to turn to the class. The kids in my row were grinning with amusement so I ignore it by rolling my eyes. Steadying my nervous hands firmly holding the papers, I begin reading the first poem in the smoothest voice I could muster:

"Behind the golden western hills,

The sun goes down a founder'd bark,

Only a mighty sadness fills,

The spaces of the dark."

Pausing to take a quick look, I noticed some were listening intently, some were not. Mostly the little ones were listening. So I continued on:

"O twilight sad with wistful eyes,

Restore in ruth again to me,

The shadow of the peace that lies,

Beyond the purple sea.

The sun of my great joy goes down,

Against the paling heights afar,

Gleams out like some glad angel's crown,

A yellow evening star.

The glory from the western hills,

Falls fading, spark on spark,

Only a mighty sadness fills,

The spaces of the dark,

Where there lies the falling sunset."

Sighing with relief on being halfway finishes, there came a loud sound of clapping in the room. There was still basically a lot more left for me to finish this cruel and unusual punishment. I start on the second and final one with deep break to make my voice loud and smooth like the last one:

"And death shall have no dominion,

Dead man naked they shall be one,

With the man in the wind and in the west moon,

When their bones are picked clean and the clean bones gone,

They shall have stars at elbow and foot,

Though they go mad they shall be sane,

Though they sing through the sea,

They shall rise again,

Though lovers be lost, love shall go on,

And death shall have no dominion."

Hesitating, I began to think this was poem was a lot tougher than the previous one I did. There was hardly any beauty in the meaning so far besides death. It just made me want to go home and see my mom again once school was over. Holding my grip on how stupid Mrs. Carlson was doing to me, I kept on going:

"Under the windings of the sea,

They lying long shall not die windly,

Twisting on rocks when sinews give way,

Strapped to a well, yet they shall not break,

Faith in their hands shall snap in two,

And unicorn evils run them through,

Split all ends up they shan't crack,

And death shall have no dominion.

And death shall have no dominion,

No more may gulls cry at their ears,

Or waves break loud on the seashores,

Where blew a flower may a flower no more,

Lift its head to the blows of the rain,

Though they be mad and dead as nails,

Heads of the characters hammer through daisies,

Break in the sun till the sun breaks down,

And death shall have no dominion."

Finally finished, I sighed with a whole bunch of relief for getting through two poems. Just hoping Mrs. Carlson won't make me do it again next time because… man I don't like poetry! Everyone including that old hag of a teacher were clapping. After a few minutes, Mrs. Carlson stands up and walks over to me. Without thinking too much I give her the papers and go quickly to my seat. She shakes her head a little in disbelief. I could read that she was thinking that I was missing an opportunity of being acknowledge. Well to consider the fact this was punishment, I just knew it was the best thing for me to not have a bit more understanding on the subject of poetry. Bores me half to death! I yawned loudly with clapping my right hand on my mouth just making it muffled to obnoxious.

"Well, Mr. Masen!" Mrs. Carlson says with a smile. "You may strongly dislike poetry, but you are good at it. Maybe one day you will learn to grasp the concept of how a poem can express beauty even if the topic doesn't sound like it should be beautiful." Looking to everyone now, she says, "Class dismissed! You may go home now, but be safe!"


	4. Lunch Break

Class was dismissed for lunch in the time being. The nervousness from reading those stupid poems ebbed away, but I couldn't stop thinking about some of the lines in the stanzas of each poem as I walked out the door.. I shook my head in disgust to get it out of my brain.. It was so stupid of me thinking about! Like how is it so important to do Mrs. Carlson's punishment in front of the whole class? I sigh in relief as the misty, urban wind hits my face. Just happy to finally get some fresh a…

"Hey, idiot!" someone yells at me a quarter of a mile away across the left field of the schoolyard. "Food is over here!"

I let out a big laugh then wave at the person while running across to the lunch line. People today can be so hilarious when they don't want to be. I found out the person who called me an "idiot" was the blonde-haired girl who was sitting right next to me in class. She was now talking to a group of her girlfriends. This didn't hold me back a snicker of an anticipation for amusement. I quietly step behind her and let out a big "BOO!". Jumping instantly, she let out a big scream and ran away. By accident, she smashed right into Kinks. He looked red to the face and was about to say something insulting to her, but was looking for the culprit who made her scared.

It didn't take him long to see a 17 year old boy laughing while rolling around in the misty grass. I was having way too much fun to realize he came over to where I was. He waited with his arms crossed with the frightened, yet angry girl for me to stop. It took me about five minutes to realize that I was in dead trouble. Still smiling, I jokingly ask, "What's up, you look like you've been scared by a big, bad wolf?"

The girl couldn't hold it in any longer and bursts out while choking tears, "Y-y-you s-sc-ar-ed me, y-you stupid h-head! N-now y-you are s-s-so d-dead!"

"Sorry, puddin'," I laugh with a sense of immaturity, "But your goose is so cooked! Hahaha!"

Kinks asks the girl, "Should I hit him for you?" He says this while punching his right fist into his left hand. "I would be so glad to do it, ma'am."

The girl nods with a look of amusement while I realize now that my goose is cooked, not hers! Kinks smiles with that predatory stare. It seems the predator now has the time to kill or hurt his prey. So off like a bullet I go, I start to run fast away from Kinks as possible. He was now a foot away from me. I could see he was trying his best to keep up with me, yet he probably never knew I had to run everyday for track practice. He couldn't gain on me even if there was a vicious predator coming after him. I smile when I turn my head back toward him. He stops in his tracks to holler with his hands cupping around his mouth. Unfortunately, I could not hear him for the adrenaline was just to let down. As I turn my head, I crash into the wall of the wooden fence surrounding parts of the schoolhouse.

This sort of hurts me, but I fall laughing with my back to the ground. Lunchtime today was too

hilarious to let it down on my birthday. Kinks now starts to run to catch up to me. Sweat pours from his red angry face, he reaches down and punches me right in the shoulder. I let out a medium-soft "ow". I ask, "What was that for?"

"For being a complete dimwit," says Kinks as he went back to have lunch. I couldn't tell if he was mad at me for scaring that girl or for just outrunning him. I went about two feet behind him to go back to eat lunch. As I got to the food, I realize there is barely enough for one person to eat. Now as I think about it, everyone possibly got seconds. I shrug my shoulders because that was not going to stop me from having a good day at school. I grabbed a piece of turkey meat, a little portion of broccoli, and an apple.

I sit down with a friend who was as happy as I was today. He lets out a laugh as I come right next to him and says, "You're crazy, Edward! You missed both lunch, got a cruel and unusual punishment by Mrs. Carlson, and got one hit from the big guy himself over there too. Is there anything that I missed?"

Eating the turkey with a fork, I talk with my mouth full, "Well, yes. I scared a girl today and did a mind-reading game during class. So, you did leave out a couple things."

I put a big emphasis on the word "so" because I knew this would tick Henry Lerwin off. He shook his brunette cropped head as he took off his flat cap. Smiling with so much amusement, he says, "Well that was very bold and stupid of you to just do all those things in one day. I never knew how I found a friend like you who would do this."

"Me neither." I say in a bit of disbelief. He knew me as a friend ever since kindergarten. Though we have done crazy things in the past like signing up for track in 5th grade. I spit at the apple to clean the dirt off then rub it with my shirt till it glistens bright crimson red in the sun.

As I take a bite in my apple, Henry asks, "So, know why Mrs. Carlson asked you to read poems other than for the young'uns and getting into trouble?"

Chewing part of the apple, I begin thinking. _What other reason is it she was asking me to read those two?_ Pushing the thought away, I just say, "I don't know why." Then suddenly a thought appears and I say, "Maybe because she is an alien from another planet. Ooooh!"

I hold up my hands claw-like and say, "She might be saying now, 'Take me to your master, earthling."

We both laugh till lunchtime was over. Mrs. Carlson came out of the school door and shouts, "Students, lunchtime is over. Class is in session." Everyone starts to walk toward the door when she quickly grew impatient, "Everyone just come, or I will have to give one person a good smacking on the ruler!"


	5. Quick-Witted vs Strong-Witted

Everyone moved on out of the schoolhouse and went out to be in the front yard as school was over for the day. Kinks and I seemed to be the last ones out. I smile with pleasure on what I should do next. For I vowed when Kinks came late to class that I would toy with him to get his head away from the clouds and from Mrs. Carlson's voice. The guy was just standing at the front of the open door, staring into space. I was right behind him and crept slowly on the wooden floor. I jumped on him and we both went tumbling down the steps to the still wet mud. Kinks screamed while I laughed like a maniac. I was tussling with him and could tell he was doing it back. He finally got his happiness back!

All the boys in our grade were gathering round in a circle and shouting at Kinks to not let me win. Though almost everyone knew that he was stronger than me, but I was quick enough to keep him down. He was on his back while I was on top. With my hands, I wrestled his hands to the ground, yet he slowly regained enough strength to push back up. I get off of him and run around him in the circle. He stays there, keeping a close watch on me.

"You think you're a tough guy, Masen?" says Kinks amusingly and grins with his hands open in position: "Come and get me!"

Jumping from side to side, I knew I could take him on and say, "Okay, but let's make this a challenge to see who can survive the longest without having one of our backs on the ground. You okay with that, Edgar?"

"Yeah, I'm fine with that, pussy!" retorted Kinks. I laugh from how this has just gotten a lot more deep than of what I planned before. But if it was fine with him, it's fine with me too.

Grinning with another thought, I was thinking of reading his mind again to keep the challenge more thrilling. I knew I wouldn't say anything to anyone about this, but it just is entertaining. Kinks was getting a bit impatient with me just standing there, so he quickly was coming in my direction where I have been standing. I dashed to the side within seconds when he jumped on my previous spot. I leaped my entire body on his back. Then I started wrestling him to the ground, yet he was not going down that easily. He grabbed my arm and quickly threw me to my back. It kind of hurt a little bit, but I can handle the pain even if it might start stinging in an hour or so.

Once I got up again with a jump, I could hear a yell coming from Kinks who pummeled in close to my direction ready to tackle me down. Instantly, I strayed away from getting tackled by going to the left side of the circle.

"Oh so close, Edgar! You could've won, but the fun is just getting started." I say mockingly towards him with my arms crossed.

He wipes sweat off his face with arm and grins: "Yep it is, but I am going to make sure you don't win." All the guys surrounding us were cheering him on, yet I could just hear a few people cheering for me. I nod with sincere contentment how this is being played out. I could just read Kinks's mind on how he wants to win and get to his parents. Yet something also was in his mind that I couldn't quite get...

"Are you done just standing there, doofus?" says Kinks. "You now did that twice. Get your head in the game, man!"

I just shake my head and say, "Alright, but just warning you. When my head gets all in the game, it is so on!"

"Then bring it on!" Kinks says defiantly. "I know for a fact that you can't take me on even with all your mind!"

Now that got me. And I jumped on him and smacked him on his back in the mud. He let out a grunt and forced his last strength on me so hard that he succeeded in winning this round. I was pretty proud of him even if he gave me a slight headache. I laughed laying there in the mud along with Kinks joining in. All the other guys now knew what was going on and started laughing to. They all quickly disbanded the circle. Kinks clasped my hand to pulled me back up and patted my back. Kinks is still laughing and says, "Dude, you are one fast sucker! Have you ever thought of joining baseball one day?"

I laugh and just shake my head in to saying no. I was too overwhelmed with the joyful fun we were having to notice he was thinking about sports. He might have a point, but there is a lot of things happening within my laugh. I can hardly think of sports right now.

"Maybe I will some other time, Kinks. But family business is more important right now than that."

"I guess you're right about that. Though maybe when this whole epidemic goes away, you could join the team. Never know you could be the star!", says Kinks as we are walking together on the sidewalk. We both part ways since his house is about eight blocks down one of the busiest Chicago streets. I couldn't help but wonder if anyone's lives can go back to normal after this whole disease epidemic is such a huge impact on nearly killing people. I came to the doorstep of my house, coming to see my mom.


	6. Home Sweet Home

Coming up to the doorstep, I knock before I came in to let Mom know I came back home. I walk into the kitchen to see if she was there, but sadly she wasn't. I call out for her waiting for a response, but only silence. I have begun to worry if she happened to have gotten the illness. I sat down on the kitchen just praying to God above that she was safe. Then I began to rock back and forth in the chair to get my mind off of the pessimistic outcomes wanting to shout to the frontal lobe of my brain. I brush the thoughts away and reassure myself that Mom was probably still at work doing overtime. Sooner or later, a knock came from the door, I quickly got up from the chair to turn the door knob to open it. To my surprise, it was Mom! She looks burnt when I take a glance at her. Without a second thought, I ask, "Um… how was work today?"

Mom just looks at me like if I was a burglar then she rubs the soot of her face with her hands to say in stress, "Oh Edward! I am a mess!"

She starts off to the bathroom at the end of the hall, but suddenly stops to turn towards me. She tilts her head with her hands on her hips to ask, "Mind telling me why you are such a mess today also?"

Before I could open my mouth in defense when I raised my index finger, she stopped me by raising her index finger to me and says, "Nope, nope, nope! Young man, you are a filthy mess! Even when it is your birthday, you are covered in mud."

Okay, so I did get in the mud, but why is it that so bad? "It was just for some fun. This boy named Edgar needed to have his spirits lifted up so I…"

"I don't want to hear anymore, Edward," as she says, huffing in anger. "Just go get cleaned and ready for tomorrow. I feel like I need this day to end anyway."

She went to the kitchen chair where I was sitting moments ago to rest herself after what seemed a horrible day. An idea sparked in my head and I quickly went over to her across the kitchen table. I say excitedly, "You know what, Mom? I have an idea on what we should make for dinner. Just you and me in the kitchen like old times," then I add as an afterthought, "After I wash?"

Mom sat there with a curious, yet a different look on her face apart from the tired expression when I first saw her come in. She nods, "I'll think about, Edward. Before I think about it, there's just something I need to do first."

She stands up and starts pushing my back towards the bathroom: "Go in the bathtub and get cleaned or I won't think about it at all, mister. It just sickens me to see my boy all muddied up from head to foot."

"Okay, okay!" I say out loud. I didn't want Mom to make it seem like I need her to wash me so I explain, "I can handle going to the bathroom on my own. I am a man now, not a child!"

Mom brushes a piece of her bang over her ear and lets out a stunning remark: "Oh really? Well, my my tall and mighty! I thought my son was still a child due to the fact he was playing in mud. Edward, you're still a boy in my book because why would a man be playing in the mud? Also you're only 17 years old now."

"But…" I try my best to shoot back, but quickly knew to keep quiet and say, "Fine, I'll wash up." I turned around to face her with a index finger pointed to her this time to add, "But you better be thinking of what we should cook!"

I slam the door shut before she could answer. Smiling at the fact that she still thinks of me as a child, I quickly get undressed and start to wash up. The water immediately turns into mud water after a few minutes of me being in there, but I get dressed into a white-button down shirt, black slacks, black shoes, and suspenders. Then I put on my trusty flat cap on top of my wet bronze hair to go out and get two bucks full of water from the shed. Out of nowhere, something in my nose starts to have a funny feeling. I sneeze when I get out of the shed carrying the two buckets of hot water. Not thinking too much about it, I go inside the house to the bathroom to empty the silver, metal tub. Finally, I fill it up for Mom to come in to clean the soot off of her skin and hair. When the task was finished, I get out of the bathroom, yet then I start to cough. I walk towards Mom who is reading the newspaper in the kitchen.

"Water's ready. Had a thought on what we should make?" I ask. She gives me an ideal look. I could tell she was thinking of steak. Then I say to her, "That would be a great idea!"

Mom nods her head and says, "Yep, steak. It would dandy to go to the butcher to buy steak. It would go perfect with the broccoli and corn I have stored in the ice box already."

"Thank you! I'll go out to get some when you're taking a bath." I say as I go around the table to give her a hug. "I don't know how I could ever live without you, Mom."

"Neither could I with you, Edward." Mom says. She is almost sobbing in my arms as she says that.

Ending the hug but still holding her in my arms, I say, "I promise to always be there for you, Mom. You have no one besides me now. So you'll have to put up with me till the day you die."

Mom doesn't say another word because she can't hold in her tears for too long. I say good night and sweet dreams to her. Though when I was heading to go to bed, I thought I heard her mutter to her breath: "Or if it ever happens, I'll be there for you till the day you die."

Hopefully what I thought she said isn't what she truly meant or to turn out to be true. The future still has that in store for both of us don't know what will happen...


	7. Making Dinner

As Mom went to go wash, I became ecstatic at thought of making dinner. Just the thought of it made me wish she could hurry up. I walked quickly to the ice box to get the frozen corn and broccoli. Unfortunately, Mom did not go out to get steak yet before she got home from work. I shrugged the thought away since for sure she might go get it tonight or tomorrow.

While I got the two bowl pans of water on the steaming little black oven, a cold chill ran shivers down my spine. Reacting to it, I put my shaking hands over the oven to warm up. What a relief! Quickly once the water was boiling, I put in both the corn and broccoli. I added pepper and salt to give the flavor a texture for the veggies like Mom taught me to do three years ago. The smell wafted the air. It lingered all the way to where the bathroom was.

I smiled once I heard the loud steps of Mom quickly getting dressed then hurrying to open the door. While stirring the two types of vegetables, Mom came in with her white gown on and wet brunette hair dripping down her back. Mom comes to the kitchen and remarks, "Edward, you started without me! I thought we were starting together as a family!"

I laugh and say, "But just the thought of cooking is so unbearable!" I pause and put my index finger on my chin to say, "Though there is something we are missing."

I look at Mom with hazel eyes and walk over to the ice wooden box to open the door. Swinging my hand to gesture towards it. It took Mom a few minutes to realize…

"Oh! Edward," She puts her hands on her gaping mouth, "The steak!"

I nod my head to emphasize that this is the missing problem. She quickly says now with her hands down, "Edward, I am going to go to the butcher shop to get some steak." She then mumbles to herself, "Just need to get my coat and money."

"Or would it be okay if I went with you?", I ask outwardly yet still being polite. Mom looks at me and shakes her wet hair. I could tell she is going to say no. I let out a little sigh.

"Edward, you may be concerned about my safety, but I can handle going out on my own. Sometimes I think you are the spitting image of your father. Always wanting to have a lady be safe."

I roll my eyes as she hastingly tries to find her purse and coat. While she does this, I notice Mom looked paler than usual. Was it the water I got for her? Thinking this in my head, Mom finds everything she needs and stops for a second. She pulls a hand up to her mouth to cough. The loud, horrendous sound made me jump a little. A little bit of saliva was coming off from that hand. The color frightened me the most. But she goes out of the door before I have idea what it was actually.

Standing there, I gazed at the door where Mom left from and was terrified. What if she was going to die on me like Dad? I just have to do something! And I did...


	8. Questions

There was no time for standing around waiting for the minutes to change. The thought of losing a parent again was something I could not bear the though of! Losing one was enough, having another would be so much more painful. Mom needs me… but I hesitate for a minute realizing she is going to scold me for not doing as she asked. I go and sit at the round table to strategize. I see a paper sitting on the other side of the table. Getting the paper and using a pencil from my pocket, I begin to write down ideas or questions, yet came up with hopeless answers.

Is my mother getting the Spanish flu virus? Probably, but in all hopes, she could survive. What if I go get help from the doctors to understand what's going on? No, they won't be much help since they are trying to understand this disease. Is there a way for doing this on my own? No, I don't have a medical degree so I am no better than the other doctors. Can anyone find a solution to this problem or is it hopeless? Possible, if there was a person who had enough time and unique brain.

These questions kept boring into my mind. It was too painful so I grasped my head with my free hand. If only… if only there was some way to help her… to help everyone. Chills raced down through my body and I shuddered as I felt cold. My skin was steaming hot. Too hot… yet I though I would be having goosebumps. I look at my arm and notice that there is none. Sweat poured down my forehead as an answer came. I drop the pen by how I realized I am getting the influenza too!

I put both my hands on my eyes to cover the pure misery that might come upon me. My chances of living might come down to the fact that I won't make it to the end of a long, healthy life. Though my own life was at stake, I hoped Mom would survive this flu. Even though she was pale and ill, I know she is stronger than both Dad and I combined. Maybe this will be better if I died…

I shook my head to say no to myself. Without me, she would be miserable and wishing she would die too. This could be basically the same thing in my case if I survived. Tears ran down my burning, sweaty face to acknowledge death as a guest. If death should pick either one of us, it has to be me.

I got up from the table and rolled the paper in a ball. My eyes were bound to the door like a rock. Leaving the rolled-up paper ball there on the table and forgetting to throw it away, I made a dumb decision. A decision so dumb that it would cost me my future.


	9. A Dumb Decision

Going out the door was the easiest step. The hard part was finding a way to slip through unseen at the butcher noticing until I go out, rain pours heavy as I step out to the front yard. I am so glad I brought my flat cap, yet unfortunately I looked at my thin white sleeves. It was too late now, so I positioned my hat closer to my eyes. Hopefully, I could get there as soon as possible, yet there is one thought that kept crossing my mind while I was running…

Could Mom be having a hard time going to the butcher shop in this drenching rain? She may be coughing up that strange discolored saliva again as she is walking fast to the shop. I quicken my pace as that thought occurs throughout my whole brain. I start saying to myself out loud, "Come on, Edward! Get there to help her out! Faster!"

Repeatedly, I started saying the same thing over to get myself motivated. I knew for a fact that the butcher shop was only six blocks away from the house, yet only two blocks away from the school. Fortunately, I did not have any inclination that I might or might not make it to go to the schoolhouse tomorrow. Running past the school that was so empty and dark made me both unsettled, yet grateful. Shaking my soggy cap, I keep on going.

The first of the two blocks came up. I see the hospital to my left sitting between two big tall buildings. I stop there for five minutes looking at the hospital. The building was white, yet tanned a little with age. It wasn't too old since it first came to Chicago just last year. Just to think that this place has been hosting so many fatally-ill patients throughout the whole year. I wonder when this epidemic was ever going to end. Looking at the building and wondering if I should go get help, I continue walking. But with one step to the dirt road from the curb of an unpaved side road, a black Ford car suddenly appears out of nowhere! I did my best to move as fast as I could, yet clumsily I hit my bottom right on the muddy surface of the side road. As soon as I fell, I could hear the sizzling pain from my foot.

Not being able to know, I try getting up. A pain from the right foot sends trimmers up my leg. Falling back down, I sigh with complete failure. Why is my day- my own 17th birthday going so poorly late at night? I grunt with pain and frustration. That guy, whoever he or she is, should've paid attention! Yes, it is raining, but why be such a jerk?!

Thinking this the car that nearly tried running me over came back unexpectedly. The black vehicle with only a roof and no windows stops right in front of me. I see a blonde-haired man at the driver seat. I scramble to get up to see him more closely. This did not work, so I scooted closer to the car where the man sat. Getting closer, I gap and yelp with surprise at how his appearance looked


	10. The Mysterious Driver

Shaking in the down-pouring rain along with sitting in the muddy side road, I look to the man in the driver seat. His appearance was both weird and creepy at the same time, yet looked unnaturally beautiful. The thought of him being beautiful came through my head. The creepy side was how his skin was so different than anyone else I have ever seen. The blonde-haired man turns his head to me and welcomes me with one quick glance from his eyes. I sit there with my eyes and mouth gaping wide open as I try to say something. The man goes out of his car and walks quickly to my side. He kneels down to see where the injury is while I lay curious in staring at his face. Unfortunately, I could only see the left side of his face. It was so pale and white than my own skin. The man walks toward where my feet lay and he bends over to look.

The man was in a white coat, much like a doctor, along with a tan suit underneath. He makes sure not to get his coat muddy so he takes it off and puts it over his right shoulder. The weird-looking man reaches his hand to touch my injured force. I quickly force my injured foot as I let out a terrifying gasp at how nearly cold the atmosphere was when the man moved in. Then I hear a little bit of the man's voice in the loud rain dripping from above..

"Young man, I am not going to hurt you," says the man. "I am a doctor."

I still tense at the rich velvet voice that this doctor made. As soon as he talked, however, I release my tension to let my injured foot be stretched out once more. I let out a stutter from the freezing rain and the burning pain that came once I moved my foot: "T-thank y-you… but w-who a-are y-y-you?"

The man, still keeping his eyes down at my foot, replies about two minutes later, "Cullen. Dr. Carlisle Cullen. And I am terribly sorry for running over your foot. I am the worst driver in the state of Illinois."

A minute passes as I was looking at him getting up to go back to his car. He grabs what looks like a medical kit, white box with a red cross, and goes back to his bent-down position at my right foot. He begins to speak again with that soft, yet soothing voice. While he talks, he works on bandaging my foot.

"If you want to know why I was in such a hurry, it's because I have been thinking of how so many people are losing their lives." He pauses to tilt his head then continues, "And how my work is the only thing in life right now that keeps me focused on what it is important in saving humanity.

"Tell me, young man. What is your name?" The man finishes bandaging up my foot and looks at me for the first time. I notice he has golden eyes so different than any normal eye color. Except what I could tell from just meeting him, he is not normal.

Planning on straightening my shaken voice, I clear my throat then answer, "Edward Masen Jr, sir!" Then the man, Dr. Cullen smiles and turns away then I add, "Thanks for apologizing and fixing my foot, Dr. Cullen!"

"You're welcome! You're a fine man, Mr. Masen. I hope we meet again someday!" says the pale doctor. Then he turns around to face me again and adds, "But I hope you don't get that illness or any disease for that matter. Mr. Masen, be careful on not getting that flu because I am sure a person in your life will miss you very much." With a smile and a wave of goodbye, he parts with: "And also be careful with that foot!"

I laugh while seeing him go. With that look of care from those golden eyes, I could tell that this man was not as bad as I thought. Though as that moment came, I felt a cough stir in my throat. I wait until he is in the car and out to the hospital. Then I hack harshly as I am getting up from the wet and muddy road. Wiping what saliva had come up from the cough, I limp to the butcher shop to find Mom. Along the way, I continue thinking about helping her, but the kind doctor, Carlisle Cullen became something that stayed in my thoughts as I head to the shop. I don't know why, but I just hope I take his word for it on not meeting him when either my mom's or my life is in a crisis.


	11. Pain

The pain of waling was unbearable. It stung from high up my spine to where my bandaged right foot was throbbing. Pain and this stormy night sky was all that surrounded me as I continue slowly to the shop. It seemed as if pain was the first guest to come to the door. I may have acknowledged death as a guest, but I am not willing to let it in to destroy both my life and my mom's.

The muddy side road made it worse as I walk along to get to the shop. The mud seemed to get darker and deeper. I steer clear of the deep hole trenches that came up next to the house on the right side of the road. Though I stop for a few minutes to look at the holes that seemed to have been dug up not too long ago. The thought of a lot of people dying crosses my mind. It brings me to an idea of how Dad was when he was brought back from his mining job. He looked different that year with black soot covering from his toes to his face. He was so skinny on that carry-in cot as they placed him in the coffin…

Shaking my head, I continue on limping. The feeling of losing someone was too unbearable to face again. As I finally get to the shop, I see that it is barely lit. I wonder if Mom already finished getting the steak. I go to the front wooden door of the butcher shop and grab the knob to turn. Unfortunately, it was locked. I wait for awhile. I fix my soaked cap on my head then check myself to see if I look okay. In turn, I was drenched, but it was fine. A few minutes pass by, I sneeze twice during that time, yet nothing happens. Then I finally hear movement of steps coming closer to the door from inside the building. It stops for a minute. Suddenly the door opens. I flinch at the sound since I was so focused on his footsteps.

There standing was a tall, lean man with a white-buttoned shirt, a black suit jacket over it, and black slacks. The man had a brown beard along with a fine black top hat resting on his head. The man looks at me with a surprised gaze and asks, "What can I do for you today, kiddo?"

I sigh at the word "kiddo, yet I shrug it off then reply, "My mom went to get steak from your store… and I thought she-"

"Was here?" The man smiles while putting both hands at the sides of the door while he looks at me as a child and says, "Boy, no one came at all tonight. I bet your ma turned back once she noticed the sign said closed."

"B-but…" I start to say but it trails off as he rudely cuts me off.

"No buts, mister! Now go home! I have important business to attend to tonight."

And with that he passes me by the shoulder and tips his hat to cover his head and eyes from the rain. As I turn to watch him leave, I keep thinking on why I did not see Mom go by me when I went to the shop. She could have been here by now. I limp out of the tiny roof covering the door to step out in the rain. I look left to right in the drenching rain to look where she had been. Where is she?


	12. Journey Back Home

I go off feeling stupid to go off to help her out. Why didn't I see her? Where could she be? That was all that I could think about as I stop and stand to turn to look once more at the butcher shop. It was now dark in there. I sigh as I turn my head to my feet. All this pain and all this walking was not even worth it from the start! I kick the air with my left foot then stomp it in the mud. I grit my teeth as the pain from the other foot triggers once again.

If only… if only she told me to come with her. I know she could not have known that I would have been so stupid on going out alone in the messy streets of Chicago. Laughing at the thought of how she will see me, I place my left foot right in front of my bad foot to head back to home. The feeling of the pain seemed to ebb away slightly as I continue tolerating it.

The journey back, however, was extremely long than last time. Eventually after two blocks back, I stop once again to the spot where I met the good doctor. Now wondering how his night is going, I start to think of how he was like. That voice, the skin, the close in contact touch. They all were something that intrigued me when I first met him. Was it normal for a voice to be so hypnotic and soothing? Is it normal for skin to be so pale and so white? It is even normal for when he nearly touched me that it was cold?

I turn to look at the hospital. The building was dark yet had one window area where there was a light. The doctor might be in there working away on trying to find a solution. I cough mucus up again then sneeze afterwards. Wiping the mucus off on my black slacks, I continue to head back home. I wish I could have just stopped by to ask him something, but being in this rain was too much to bear.

Finally, I came pass the school two blocks more. This meant that home was not too far away which I smile for real for the first time in hours. I limp more enthusiastically, yet I stumble as my right foot hits my left foot. This time my face smacks down in the wet mud. This is when I was wishing my mouth was not opened. The mud in my mouth tastes weird as I get my face out of the dirt. Twice today, I got into mud. I spat out the mud and clear the mud from my once clean white shirt. The brown still remains as I finally stand up. Though I falter a little bit as my right foot was throbbing underneath my bandages.

Afterwards, I continue to walk, yet as I start I watch out for my bad foot. I did not want to land headfirst into mud again! Four blocks went by as I continue to limp towards home. Thinking as I limp, I wonder if my mom is there waiting to yell at me. I smile again and chuckle with a new passion on just wanting to hug her. As I go to the front yard of the house, I stop to look if the lights were on. Fortunately, they were! I make my way to the front door and open the door. A surprise hits me right when I come in.


	13. The Surprise Attack

The surprise once I came in was painful, yet not as painful as I have been through. Then once I stand there hold my cheek in place, a scream starts right as I rub.

"Edward! Boy, explain to me where you went?!" Mom yells in a fit a rage with her face so red. She looks at me with those hazel eyes with so much frustration. I decide not to answer since I could see she wasn't done.

"Fine! I don't want to hear it! But you left a ball of paper on the table without even throwing away in the trash!" Mom exclaims as she is swinging her arms in the air then points at me, "Tell me, young man! Why are you worried that I am going to get the virus? I am not coming down with something so horrible that I might die in any given moment!"

"I-" I start to say then stop. I look at Mom who begins to sigh and lower her voice to say, yet it came out so raspy, "Edward, the virus doesn't have anything to do with me. Neither for you. So I hope we can settle our differences and explain why you went out on your on. And I'll let you talk it out, I promise.

I give a sigh of relief. Mom goes over to the table and sits at the chair then gestures me to come sit across the round table from her. I sit down and begin of what I saw when she coughed up before she left. As she left for the store, I wrote questions to solve on how to handle it. Then I tell her that I was getting chills and coughed up nearly the same stuff as her when I went to the shop to find her. After that, I tell her how I nearly got ran over by a car and got help from the kind doctor who apologized later. Mom gasps and says, "My! That's why you were injured! You should have looked both ways!"

I tell her that I did, yet then I continue on about how the butcher shop was closed. I had to leave out the part of where the butcher was really rude when telling me she was not there. Mom nods and says, "Yeah that was weird. But, Edward…"

"Yeah?" I ask.

"I did not go to the butcher shop to get that steak. I kind of forgot. My mind was on your dad, so I went the other direction to the cemetery where he lays." I look at her with surprise as she continues, "It may have been a lie to tell you that I was getting the steak, but honey… the memories of your father are just getting away from me. Also, I can't stop coughing up blood and shivering so to add to that, I get what you are saying.

"Yet it took me awhile to come back home after I went to the gravesite." My mom began to tear up and says, "Edward, please forgive me!"

She comes around the table to hug me. Her warm tears fall on my dirty face as I hug her back. I could understand what she was going through. Dad had been a part of this family before I was even born. Sadly, I never got to hear the stories of when Dad and Mom first met.

Mom stops hugging and releases to wipe her tears away. I stare out and do a little bit of reading her mind. The only thing I could think of when reading her mind was that she wished she could have had more time with him. Then Mom shakes herself to get ignore the thought for a little while and says, "Edward, go clean up and get to bed. It's been a long night."

I nod and go get clean water from the shed to bathe in once I get in the bath. Later, I go to my room and fall on my bed. Once again I cough yet nothing comes up except blood. I knew that both my mom and I were coming down with the flu. Though I have a feeling that I was worse than her. My lungs felt they were not working so I switch to lay on my back. As I lay there with my eyes open to the ceiling, I wonder if I could ever get to sleep. And I did. Unfortunately, the nightmare came once again.


	14. The Nightmare

The night was the most restless as I ever had. Not only were my lungs not working or my right foot was throbbing from the pain, I began to have the same nightmare. I toss and turn as I dream. And this is how the dream is:

 _Running to the hospital with my mom, I go in to find really long hallways. The floors were packed with people lying in sleeping bags or in cots. They seemed malnourished with only bones seeping through their skin. I panic as I look to Mom who was getting near to that state. She looks at everyone around her and screams, yet I can't hear the scream. Fear surges through my body as I lead her into a room where we were both alone. We waited there for what seemed like hours. My hazel eyes felt as if they were going to fall out of my face. Fortunately, they did not. I turn my head to look at my surroundings. Mom was sitting at a chair right next to where I sat. The walls were white with no windows. There lay a hospital bed with soft curtains waiting to surround it. The floor was wooden, yet sleek. The smell was scented with medicines and smells from the sick people. I sit there in the chair holding my mom. She rolls her body and face in a ball up to my chest. She lays her brown hair there and tries to sleep. Her eyes are closed, yet her lips are quivering from the fear of dying._

 _I cradle her as best I could to help her focus on life. I think of when any doctor comes in to check on her and see if she was okay. Of course, she was not okay. I rock from left to right holding her in my arms. I don't want to lose her. Never. Ever! Then suddenly the door opens and a man appears. I could not see who the doctor was since he had a blue cap, blue mask, black goggles, a blue suit with white gloves. He stares at my mom and I with those black goggles. Fear again echoes as I quiver along with my mom. The doctor turns his head to gesture three nurses to come in. Then he whispers to three of them who wearing the same thing as him. I did not know what they were saying, but I shout, "No! NO! NO! Don't you dare take her away! I'm her son."_

 _The doctor does not seem even the slightest bit sensitive when I yell at him. Both him and the nurses pull her forcefully out of my arms. I tug to pull her near me, but they pull back. During this, Mom still had her eyes closed and was shaking without noticing anything. Not able to have the strength, I let go and they put her on a cot with wheels, a gurney. She lays there helpless with no screaming. Except I keep screaming and running to them._

" _Please don't take her away from me!" I keep yelling and trying to keep up, but there was no end in sight as the hallway kept getting longer and longer._

 _I reach out my hand to try to grab the far off gurney as I ran to catch up. Tears stream down my face as I knew it was useless. Finally I caught to only see that the doctor and nurses left her in a hospital bed with a sheet pulled up to cover her face. I uncover the sheet to find that there was only a skeleton, not my mom._

 _I cry out, "Mom! Mom!"_

Finally I wake up and cry, "Mom!"

Shaking and cold, I cough more and shout, "Mom!"

Then the door from my room opens. Mom stands there still looking well and healthy just a little. She says, "Yes, I am here."

I cry with tears streaming down my face as I see her alive. She comes to the side of my bed and surrounds her arms around me. Then, she cradles me. Rocking back and forth as she whispers, "Edward, everything is okay. It's only two in the morning. We are both alive and happy. Sssh.. everything is okay, son.."

Throughout the night, she cradles me as if I were a small child to get me to sleep. Finally, I do as I lay my head on her shoulder as she sits there looking at her own son who was getting sicker as the minutes go by.


	15. Morning's Quality

The next morning, the sun rises like a flower blooming from over the city. The birds and bees buzz out from behind the trees' leaves overlaying the sides of the many roads. I open my eyes as I wake up to find out that my mom has been holding me all night. I realize in disgust that I am nearly a grown man not a child! I kind of rudely say, "Mom, you can let go of me now."

Mom, still with her eyes closed, nods and mutters, "Nuh-uh. Too tired. Wake me up till it's morning."

"It is morning!" I exclaim yet do it in a polite way. She just nods over my head and sits. I smile as I think of a way to escape her grip. I reach my right hand to her side and tickle her there. She laughs and shakes to try to get away as she opens her eyes.

"Please stop! S-stop!" She says as she laughs as I tickle her side more. The morning just got better as we both share fun family time together for awhile. "Edward Masen Jr., I am awake!"

Then she takes my hand away from her side to push it away. I stop and put my arms between my hands with a mischievous smile. She smiles at me and says, "I'll go make some omelets for you before you have to go to school."

"Aw okay." I say with sigh yet laugh as she goes out of the room. Maybe later today I could mess with her more. As she closes the door, I pull on a new pair of clothes and put on my tan flat cap. Thankfully, the cap was dry. I go to the bathroom to get ready. As I get in, I see myself in the mirror. A young seventeen year old with short red hair covered partially with a cap and green eyes. A bright smile appeared from his face with no worry in the world what may happen. So care-free and full of spirit.

I clean my teeth and brush the knots from my hair then catch the scent of eggs with tomatoes, ham, herbs, and cheese. Heading to the kitchen, Mom already finished the omelets and already put two on a plate and one on another. She set it down on the round table. I slide in the seat to eat the food. I grab my fork, yet suddenly a hand appears out of nowhere. I look up to see Mom shaking her head as she chuckles.

"No, Edward. Slow down! Wait for me to sit down and eat too. I know it's school day, but I want to spend time with my own son."

"Alright," I say sadly as I put my fork down and smile as she begins to sit down, "But you are going to take forever!"

She laughs and says, "Very funny, young man I may be an older woman, but I am not that old!"

She coughs as she sits down. Mom was getting sicker, but I could tell I was getting way more worse than her. Though I ignored the thought of me being sick and just being happy, I could tell my eyes had purple deep lines underneath and my skin was becoming gray. Shaking my head, I grab my fork and begin to eat as my mom begins to talk.


	16. Laughter's Short Time

Mom starts by saying, "Honey, what you did this morning was the best time in my life since your father passed. I never laughed so hard in my life!"

She stops and eats on the omelet. I chuckle as I finish eating the two omelets that I quickly ate. I say later, "You deserved that! I was trying to get out. I'm not a child anymore."

Laughing, Mom shakes her head. I stare at her more to read what she is thinking. I could tell she was thinking of all the mud I was covered in. We have been through this before when I came home from school. So I knew what she was going to say.

"You are no man at all, Edward. Not yet. Not until you stop playing in the mud!" She laughs as she adds another bite to her mouth. It kind of hurt when she said this because it was true. I put my head to my upright clasped hands as I close my eyes. I chuckle more then say, "Yeah you're right. I still have more of a life to go to better understand how to grow up."

Mom gives me a look with a smile as in "now you know". Then I get up to put the plate the sink and wash and rinse it off. After, I put it on a towel to dry off. I turn to get to my bedroom, yet Mom stops me.

"Edward, just a tip. I need you to get the steak this time after school. This time we can make an amazing dinner together."

I bow jokingly to her and say, "Yes, your highness!"

I grab my backpack from my room and then start off to school. Though when I got to the front yard, I look at my right foot to see that there was no bandages covering it. Only there was black shoes on both feet. It felt amazing to not go looking like I had an accident, but the pain still was throbbing from inside the shoe. To be careful, I limp to the four blocks to get to school. Thankfully this time I did not get my face in the mud!

As I come up to the schoolhouse, I notice that there were more children missing than ever. I tilt my head even curiouser to wonder if the flu is making so many students miss school. Before I stepped in the schoolhouse, I pray not to do another poem in front of the class. Please let Mrs. Carlson not punish me this time!

I walk in and find more people in the schoolhouse than normal. The younger students were there and this time Edgar Kinks and that blonde girl was sitting in the eleventh row. Yet my friend, Henry was not even there so I am betting he was skipping out. He usually does if a day like yesterday happens when I get myself into trouble. I go down to the eleventh row where my grade was and sit on the far right. The girl and Kinks moved spots to be farther away from me. There were only about nine students in my year that day out of eleven. Eyeing the front, I could tell Mrs. Carlson was there still looking like an angry old hen. I laugh softly, yet cough and hack louder than ever.

The cough was worse than ever as I heaved in and out. Then suddenly my body starts shaking as I fall to the floor. My eyes grow wide open as I try to breath, yet the chills came up once more yet longer this time. Panic from everyone fell around me as I feel the eyes stare at me. Mrs. Carlson yells to the class, "Out! Now! Leave Mr. Masen here. I don't want more students falling ill."

As I lay there heaving for a breath of air and shaking from the freezing temperature inside my body, Mrs. Carlson was looking so worried. I wish I could of told her that I would be fine that it's nothing. Yet that would be a lie. Then crazy things started as I lay there helpless trying to breathe for air.


	17. Feeling Helpless

Hacking away helplessly, I lay there in heart wrenching pain. My lungs are tensing up each time I heave for a breath of air. Mrs. Carlson may have been so worried about me, yet I could not see anything but the blurred wooden floor. Was death coming to take me instead?

I hear Mrs. Carlson from the front of the schoolhouse yelling, "Mr. Edward Anthony Masen, please wait here! I must find your mother to bring you back home!" Then she murmurs, "Please for goodness sake, I hope Mrs. Masen is at home instead of work today."

I could barely make out what she said, but Mrs. Carlson's footsteps echoes on the floor and later vanishes. I try to cry for her to stay and not leave me, but my voice vanishes as I cough more harshly. I wait there in agony on the floor for what seems like so many hours until a rush of footsteps appear again.

I heave another breath of air and cough more as I hear a female voice. The familiar voice says, "Son! Edward! I'm here. Your mother's here for you."

I try to smile, yet my mouth stays straight as it is busy quivering with each breath getting worse. I hear her voice again, "Edward… dear, I need you to do your best to stand on your feet. Can you do that?"

A hand places itself on my back along with the other placing on my chest. My vision was so blurry that I could not see. All I could do was listen and try to move. So I move my legs as they keep swinging uncontrollably as I hack more harsh coughs. Mom keeps encourage me to move by saying, "That's good, honey! Keep moving! I'll walk you home as best as I can!"

As I gain my stance from off the ground, I feel my arm going over someone's thin shoulders- which I could guess it is Mom. I continue to cough more and try to find that breath of air as she uses all her force to bring me home. Thankfully, she did get us both home within the four blocks. I could feel and smell her rich perfume along with the familiar smells of today's breakfast. Something inside me starts to come out and I crash land with my knees and hands on the grassy ground. A scream from behind calls out "Edward!" echoing through my ears as I puke clunky and discolored vomit which causes me to cough even more.

Then Mom grabs me and pulls me to the inside of the house. She hauls me with sheer force as my arm is over her shoulders. Then she lays me on the bed of where my room is. I close my eyes and groan as I try not to cough again. I roll over to my side, yet Mom pushes me away to get me to face up to the ceiling.

She softly says, "Honey, it's going to be okay. I'll try to keep you in bed until you get better. You have my word."

Hearing this, I wonder if she was telling the truth or lying to make it seem fine. I look up at the blurry ceiling as I feel her move away and out the door. I lay there thinking yet did not have a thought except effortlessly trying to breathe.


	18. Four Months

June

A day later comes by and I lay there with green, bulging eyes still open to the ceiling. Though the ceiling had not even changed, my vision feels like it is changing. The blurry and cloudy fogs surrounds my pupils. As each new day appears during this month, Mom comes up to check on me and she herself was having a cough too, but not as horrible as mine.

I felt she was getting a little more lonely as the month of June was going by. Even though there were people at her work, she may have been preoccupied with enduring thoughts. Also, I could not be able to talk since I learned that during the day of the catastrophe, I had no chance to speak a word to either Mrs. Carlson or my mom. Finally, my mom comes into my room with some fresh-cut steak with broccoli and corn on a plate. She sits by my bed holding it and says while trying to give her best smile, "Brought you some food. Finally got the steak today."

Not getting an answer from me afterwards as I stare upwards, she continues as she puts the plate on my lap, "Dear, I hope you can eat this. Just look at me to let me know if you need to be fed if you can't do it yourself."

I heave more coughs as I try to turn my head. Thinking to myself, Mom needs company because I have no idea how much time we will have together. So I encourage myself to look in her hazel eyes. She gives a faint smile as she dips cuts the steak with a fork and knife then fork-feeds me the bite. The one bite was so delicious! She continues to feed me all of it. Then the food from the plate was all gone. Smiling, she says, "Well done! You know I haven't spoon-fed or fork-fed you since you were such a wee little thing!"

I try to laugh, yet I hack more. As she goes away, she stops midway as she opens the door. She turns by saying, "Honey, this may be the last time we ever have steak. I am going to save the money I get from the factory to help us get to the hospital to know how to handle this."

And with that she leaves the room.

July

July comes around and each day Mom came by to feed whatever she could afford. The most type of food she could get was spam. That was the worst thing she could ever feed me! I feel as if she might not getting as much money as she needs from the textile factory. I heave a big cough as I eat each bit of that disgusting spam. Feeling like a chicken, I try to swallow each salty and disgusting bite.

Though besides the food, each day just like last month was the same. The weather changed slightly since it was only summer. Rain pours on some days, yet there are days where the storms bring in heavier rain. The gray skies gave me no satisfaction on looking at the window. A cough came out once again, it continued to last for several minutes. Then the last day of July came, yet I feel content that it was a beautiful sunny day outside.

August

As the month of August rolls in, I start to wonder if I am ever going to get better. It has been two months since of what happened at school. No doctors came to help since my mother had been given little money and was trying to cook what little food we had.

I look at the blurry blue skies from within my room. My lungs were still caving in from the lack of oxygen, but I gasp for so much air as the sunny skies seem to pester me.

I miss being out, being healthy, and laughing with friends. All throughout the months, I stare at the ceiling thinking of Mom, Henry, that blonde-headed female jerk who ratted me out, and lastly Edgar Kinks. I remember he said on my birthday, June 20, if I could join the baseball team at school after I beat him in a chase. I grin as best as I could when I think of how life would be different if I did both track and baseball. It would keep me busy, but it would give me a chance to do something with people who go the same place with me daily. I gasp for another breath of air as the last day of August comes to pass.

September

September hits me hard as I stay in my bed. It has now been three months since the incident and my health has grown worse. My mom looks at me with her head tilted. She says in a very raspy, hoarse voice, "Edward, hang in there. Please hold on…"

Her voice trails off as she coughs. Her coughs were getting as much worse as mine now. I hack more, yet this time blood spurts out of my mouth. I begin shaking even more uncontrollably and this time I could not handle it.

I needed help more than just staying in bed waiting for the months to go by. My mom grabs me by the arms and legs as she stares in fear as I swing up and down. My body was going into seizures where I could not control my weakened body anymore.


	19. Uncontrollable Seizures

The seizures overtook my body as I cough more and more blood. My mom tries to hold to onto me and yells, "Edward! Edward! Stop moving! Please stop! I need you to listen to your mother!"

It was useless as I could not see or hear her. My body was going into a cataclysmic state. Nothing was working for me to listen to her. She holds me down, but effortlessly fails. She screams and cries as I keep moving. Then an instant later, Mom stops holding me and runs away. In my state that I am in, I could only see that she left then banged the door shut. Later, I see her going out and running towards where I think the hospital was.

I scream and claw towards the ceiling as my body swings up and down from my bed. What seems to be like an hour later, I hear a rush of many footsteps come in my room. I scream even more as I cough more blood. Along with that, my chills starts up again. I shiver as my body moves from side to side.

I saw only one familiar face and it was not my mom. It was the kind doctor again. Unfortunately, I was not sure if it was him, but my eyes were more blurry than ever as my body moves aggressively. A screaming voice echoes from across my bed, "Edward! We're going to the hospital. I brought a friend of yours, Dr. Cullen to help you. Please hold on, honey!"

I did not know what was going on as she told me that but a group of hands grab me to pick me out of my bed. The suddenly my shaking body lays on a moving cot. I shiver, heave more coughs, and swing more than ever as I feel a sense of cool outside air hit me in the face. I scream and try to ask where they were taking me. No words came out as my bloody coughs were masking my words. My vision could not see as I could not close my eyes to relax. The fear and pain went through my body like the chills were as the nurses were moving me to a new location. I did not feel for certain if the good doctor was beside me or not, but he may have been quiet while my mother was yelling at him as she walks right next to me. I could imagine how she was feeling when going to the hospital.

My nightmare was coming true, but in a different way. I cough as I realize this that my time here on Earth was going to be in a really bad way. Fear still surged through my nerves as did my mother. Her time will not come, but to mine is a different story.

The hospital seemed so faster than ever as the nurses put me in the doctor's car. The doctor behaved like a gentleman as my mother weirdly looks at him as she steps into the front seat. She may have been thinking the same thing as me, but Mom was not curious enough as she looks back at where I lay. The doctor asks in his soothing, hypnotic voice, "Miss, sorry that I am the only transportation to bring your son to the infirmary."

"I-it's okay, doctor," says my mom who feels very uncomfortable with sitting by a strange man while her son is swinging up and down. The man starts the pedal fast and jolts my mom as she reacts by holding the cot.

"Sorry!" Dr. Cullen exclaims and continues to drive fast to get to the hospital. I hold my breath as my eyes scarcely look at the black roof of the Ford car. As we get there which only took five minutes, the doctor was beside my mother patiently waiting on the nurses to run as fast they can from the four blocks. My mother curiously looks at me on the cot laying down shaking uncontrollably as she feels the cold sense of air standing by the doctor.

Mom rubs her arms as she grows closer to where the doctor is. I could not see what her reaction was since I continue to cough, but her feelings toward the good, but pale blonde doctor were somewhat distant. I imagine her standing there as she looks at him seeing his golden eyes, pale skin in the gray, cloudy sky, and white coat. She mutters something that I barely hear nor the doctor, "Vampire…"

Finally the nurses come and the doctor greets them with a smile. They nod as they grab the holders of where I lay. Mom runs right next to me to keep me from staying out of her sights. This made me again think of my nightmare as they soon took us to a room where there lay a hospital bed. A window was shining through as the sun partially shone through the clouds as it was going down. The clouds disappear and my mom was sitting impatiently as she stares at me then to Dr. Cullen who was standing there next to me. As I shake uncontrollably, he does the same as my mom did, yet the feeling was so cold on the outside as it was on the outside. He grabs a needle from the dish that one of the nurses set down. The doctors injects me. I shake my head as blood goes over the sides of my graying mouth. A second later, I was partially out.


	20. The Doctor's Decision

I look at the woman over by the window sitting as she yells at me on doing it wrong on sedating her son. The fear within this brown-haired woman's eyes was toward me, but mostly toward her son. She was swing her arms from up and down shouting, "How could you do that! We need him awake!"

I do my best to assure her that I know what I am doing. She stomps her foot and stands to point at me: "Really?! My son is on the verge of dying! Do something!"

"Please sit down, miss. We still don't know what we are doing. He will be doomed anyway since I myself don't know how to heal him." I say patiently, yet I had to tell her straight out. She looks with her angry hazel eyes at my gold eyes. She yells more, "Just do something! I know what you are! Please help my son now! I don't care what you do, just do something!"

I stiffen as I hear those words and want to say something, but all it came out is, "W-what do you mean?"

"You're a vampire!" She yells as she swings her arms more, "And I am asking for you to help my son in the only way that can possibly help him!"

"B-but ma'am…" I say now feeling my voice shake as I want to tell her that I should not turn him into the kind of beast I have become long ago.

"Just do it! He's dying anyway! My life is worthless than his! So just do it, please doctor!"

The decision was made clear so I nod and get the serum to make the young man's transformation less painful from the corner of the room and poke the needles that are hooked up with the serum to the inside of the young man's elbows. As that was done, I close my eyes to count to twenty seconds. Then as those seconds pass, I quickly sink my teeth into his neck. The seventeen year old boy has his green eyes wide open as the venom from my teeth sink into his veins.

Then as to not draw too much blood, I quickly take my teeth out to let the venom go through. Some of his blood was on my teeth, yet I did not yearn for more. For I had a gift that helped me become a doctor and this was self-control. I look to the young man's mother who sits there not making a sound until she says something so weird. She whispers, "Thank you."

I stand there in surprise as she coughs more as she grows weaker and weaker. Noticing her life was going to end, I quickly dash to her side to lay her softly on her head on the chairs. I estimate she was going to live for one more day until the sickness reaches her too. I bent down to look at her sadly as she falls into a comfortable sleep.

* * *

Pain once again comes along as it comes from my neck. There were sharp teeth moments before that made my eyes open. My blood was now wanting to seep out of my neck and I lay there with no screaming, but just waiting in silence. I turn my head to look at Dr. Cullen looking over my mom sleeping. Then I look above to see the sun still coming down. It falls like a friend leaving. A light being gobbled up by the walls of darkness. It was in that the sense of loss creeps slowly as the sting of pain goes through my body. The nerves twitch as something inside me freezes them up. I could see a color that was forming. Red... red as the crimson apple I had eaten on my birthday. Red as blood. Red as a rose rising higher as it blooms to be plucked.

Then the red becomes my vision, but not for long. The red becomes that sunset. A falling sunset sinking fast into the everglades. Sinking into the deep pit where only darkness would appear. For that falling sunset was the only last thing I saw as my vision fades to black. My brain switches off and on. The feeling numbing away. " _Fading spark on spark, a mighty sadness feels, the spaces of the dark"_ quoted in my mind from the poem. I lay there seeing the falling sunset switching to the sly twilight sky just like my vision. I sigh as the numbness of death sets in. Now it has become a friend to have and to hold. I smile as my vision fades to unending blackness. This was the end of Edward Anthony Masen Jr.


End file.
